Zephyr detour Wyoming: EB or WB?
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Both directions travel through the same scenery.
Which would be the entire portion of the detour.
Bruce-C
Service Attendant
You'll probably be on the trackage that parallels I-80. If you have driven out there, you know there ain't much.
The most interesting scenery probably would be early morning, eastbound Salt Lake to Green River, Wy.
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Shortline
Conductor
Personally I like the wide open vistas of the high plains for train travel, the long sight distance works for me. Personally I prefer that, to say the pine tree blur one sees in the South. Enjoy the trip either way!
MikeM
OBS Chief
Hey there, don't dis my home state! There are actually some interesting sights along the line.
Out of Ogden, you go through a wide sandstone canyon parallel to I-80 which is pretty neat. At Evanston, there is the substantial remains of a Union Pacific shops complex, including a roundhouse, which the city has spent much time and energy restoring to it's historic appearance. Because the site was sold to a tank car maintenance / leasing company and used by them for many years, it escaped the typical UP demolition process that destroyed so many of their steam era structures. The depot in Evanston has also been restored and is in use by the city as a visitor information center.
Leaving Evanston, there is a long tunnel (can't remember the name), and approaching Green River you descend through Fish Cut and wind down the river bluffs approaching Green River. If you look carefully to the north of the train there are places just to the north of the train where you can see the cuts and fills of the original alignment.
Green River has a major station, future fate unknown, which is very impressive. It was converted to all offices years ago, and much of the historic detail like station windows were lost in a true kludge of a remodel. The original roundhouse and many facilities were demolished in the 70's, but Green River remains a major traffic source for the UP thanks to the Trona mines, which you would have passed west of Green River.
Continuing Eastbound, you will pass through Rock Springs, then enter the Red Desert. This area is unique in that you pass over the Continental divide twice - the Red Desert forms a basin so there is a segment that does not drain either way. Rawlins is the next "major" city on the line, after which you head to Laramie. There are some pretty vistas along this line, which diverges from the interstate and parallels what was old Highway 30. Beyond Laramie, you hit Sherman Hill. Sadly, you won't see Cheyenne, where the historic sandstone UP depot has been really nicely redone as a museum and event center. Not to mention the steam shops, with restored windows that you can look through and see the historic fleet when it's there.
Hopefully this gives you a little sense of what you're going to see along the route. If you're the reading type, a great book about Wyoming is "Rising from the Plains" by John McPhee. He discusses the geology of the state, diverging into the history, people, and climate of the state. Naturally, I'm probably a little biased on this front. Hope you have a great trip, enjoy this somewhat rare mileage trip.
Out of Ogden, you go through a wide sandstone canyon parallel to I-80 which is pretty neat. At Evanston, there is the substantial remains of a Union Pacific shops complex, including a roundhouse, which the city has spent much time and energy restoring to it's historic appearance. Because the site was sold to a tank car maintenance / leasing company and used by them for many years, it escaped the typical UP demolition process that destroyed so many of their steam era structures. The depot in Evanston has also been restored and is in use by the city as a visitor information center.
Leaving Evanston, there is a long tunnel (can't remember the name), and approaching Green River you descend through Fish Cut and wind down the river bluffs approaching Green River. If you look carefully to the north of the train there are places just to the north of the train where you can see the cuts and fills of the original alignment.
Green River has a major station, future fate unknown, which is very impressive. It was converted to all offices years ago, and much of the historic detail like station windows were lost in a true kludge of a remodel. The original roundhouse and many facilities were demolished in the 70's, but Green River remains a major traffic source for the UP thanks to the Trona mines, which you would have passed west of Green River.
Continuing Eastbound, you will pass through Rock Springs, then enter the Red Desert. This area is unique in that you pass over the Continental divide twice - the Red Desert forms a basin so there is a segment that does not drain either way. Rawlins is the next "major" city on the line, after which you head to Laramie. There are some pretty vistas along this line, which diverges from the interstate and parallels what was old Highway 30. Beyond Laramie, you hit Sherman Hill. Sadly, you won't see Cheyenne, where the historic sandstone UP depot has been really nicely redone as a museum and event center. Not to mention the steam shops, with restored windows that you can look through and see the historic fleet when it's there.
Hopefully this gives you a little sense of what you're going to see along the route. If you're the reading type, a great book about Wyoming is "Rising from the Plains" by John McPhee. He discusses the geology of the state, diverging into the history, people, and climate of the state. Naturally, I'm probably a little biased on this front. Hope you have a great trip, enjoy this somewhat rare mileage trip.
zepherdude
OBS Chief
Over the years I have read so many disappointed comments about this trip, yes, I have done the mountains and Colorado River portions. I would really enjoy this re-route event. I cant go, but I think it would be great. I realize it does not make it better that want to see mountains and rushing rivers. I make any trip a good trip and enjoy the train ride. Can the train get up to speed an this route?
RMS,
I've done the detour in both directions and I thought that going west seemed slightly better. I suspect that was due to our being on time going west, whereas we ran late going east. Additionally, going west one is generally awake for the entire run whereas coming east you'd be asleep and it would still be dark out of Salt Lake.
Zephyrdude,
The overland route is faster in part because it tends to be straighter and in part because of more gentle grades. There is also a lot more double track I believe, although I didn't totally pay attention to that aspect. I know that going westbound, we arrived about 2-1/2 hours early, despite leaving Denver about 15 minutes late that morning. Coming east we were late into SLC, but we did make up some of that time going into Denver, although not all of it IIRC.
I've done the detour in both directions and I thought that going west seemed slightly better. I suspect that was due to our being on time going west, whereas we ran late going east. Additionally, going west one is generally awake for the entire run whereas coming east you'd be asleep and it would still be dark out of Salt Lake.
Zephyrdude,
The overland route is faster in part because it tends to be straighter and in part because of more gentle grades. There is also a lot more double track I believe, although I didn't totally pay attention to that aspect. I know that going westbound, we arrived about 2-1/2 hours early, despite leaving Denver about 15 minutes late that morning. Coming east we were late into SLC, but we did make up some of that time going into Denver, although not all of it IIRC.
One other potential advantage to going west is that generally the line is a two track main, with westbound traffic routed on the northern track. The train stops in Green River to change crews and the old station is adjacent to the northern track. So most of the time going west, the train actually does stop at the station and passengers are allowed off for a quick breath of fresh air and to stretch their legs.
Eastbound, it's hit or miss as to whether UP will go to the trouble of crossing the train over such that the crew can platform the train. And more often it seems to be a miss, meaning that while the train still stops for new crews, the passengers don't get to hop off for a few minutes.
Of course there are no guarantees for either direction, but again it seems as though the odds are better for getting off in Green River if one is going westbound.
Eastbound, it's hit or miss as to whether UP will go to the trouble of crossing the train over such that the crew can platform the train. And more often it seems to be a miss, meaning that while the train still stops for new crews, the passengers don't get to hop off for a few minutes.
Of course there are no guarantees for either direction, but again it seems as though the odds are better for getting off in Green River if one is going westbound.
Montanan
OBS Chief
For me, the most scenic part of the UP trip is from Ogden to a point a half-hour or so east of Evanston, though the area right at Green River is also pretty cool. I like that section better eastbound, just because going upgrade seems more interesting to me than downgrade. However ... Weber Canyon, just east of Ogden, is the best part, and its possible it might not be light yet when you get there eastbound.
The route through Wyoming is nowhere near as scenic as the Zephyr's regular route, but I actually think it's quite interesting, both for the high-desert scenery and the heavy-duty railroading along the way.
The route through Wyoming is nowhere near as scenic as the Zephyr's regular route, but I actually think it's quite interesting, both for the high-desert scenery and the heavy-duty railroading along the way.
P
Philly newbie
Guest
I'm scheduled to travel on the Zephyr during the reroute in June and I'm a b bummed about missing the usual scenery. I've seen some posts from the previous years indicating that the dates of the reroute might still change at the last minute. Is that true or should I just accept that there is no hopeto see the Rockies. Thanks!
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June is the end of the Union Pacific's work schedule, so there is a possibility that the UP will complete the work early and your train will run through the Rockies. In fact, the UP has a pretty decent record of getting work done early, so there is hope.
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